


just relax (the world isn't watching)

by MarkedMage



Series: The Moon and All Her Stars [5]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, First Time, Post-Canon, Smut, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck, Zutara Week 2020, day 5: hesitancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-30
Updated: 2020-07-30
Packaged: 2021-03-05 00:28:29
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,216
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25475386
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarkedMage/pseuds/MarkedMage
Summary: Katara's first time. Someone's a little nervous.(Hint: and it ain't Katara.)Zutara week, day five: Hesitancy
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Series: The Moon and All Her Stars [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1827331
Comments: 12
Kudos: 258
Collections: Zutara Week 2020





	just relax (the world isn't watching)

**Author's Note:**

> written for Zutara Week, Day Five: Hesitancy. 
> 
> hope you enjoy! Underaged readers, do me a solid and exit out of this tab right now. Thank you.

_Hesitancy (noun): the quality or state of being hesitant; tentative, unsure._

~0~

They're sitting in Ursa's garden, drinking tea, when Katara says, "I need you to start getting me some jadepine for my tea." 

Zuko chokes on his own tea, which is a beautiful blend of ginseng and ginger, and Katara looks up in alarm. He coughs, pounding on his chest, because Katara just told him to start getting her contraceptive as easily as if they were discussing the weather.

She blinks. "Are you okay?"

He gags, coughing up the taste of ginger and running a hand through his hair. "Agni, Katara," he says. "You can't just say something like that so casually."

She shrugs, unbothered. "Sorry, I just figured I should tell you now before you forget."

He raises a brow. " And, uhm," he begins, feeling a hot flush rising to his cheeks. "Why... Uh, exactly do we need...?"

The look she gives him is enough to wither all the plants across the four nations. "Because we're going to have sex?" She says, as if this is something he should have already known.

(Which is, like, _duh_ , but he just, you know. Never thought it would be something that's apparently happening now.)

He blinks. "Oh," he says. Then, after a moment, "Alright."

She laughs, then leans in and kisses his cheek. "Come on Zuko," she says, eyes shining with mirth. "Don't tell me you don't want to."

He scrambles to his feet, eyes wide with alarm. "Oh spirits!" He says, waving his arms frantically. "No I do, _spirits,_ I do, it's just-"

"Just what?" She prompts, quirking a brow. For all this talk about sex, she's remarkably calm about the entire thing. Is Zuko supposed to be freaking out? He's allowed to, right? 

"It's just..." He begins hesitantly, not sure how to put it. But Katara is Katara, and he knows that she prefers things put bluntly, so he steels his nerve, looks her dead in the eye, and says, "Won't this be your first time?"

She blinks, mouthing opening in a silent _oh,_ before she begins to laugh. The gentle peals of laughter coming from her mouth normally soothes him, but instead he feels the flush spreading over his entire body, and he's starting to feel a bit embarrassed. Maybe he's not supposed to freak out...?

(Shouldn't there be some kind of guidebook to this? 'How to Not Freak Out Over Your Girlfriend's First Time', or something along those lines? Because Zuko, for the life of him, is not sure whether to panic or rejoice, to freak out or not, and of course, the confusion is actually causing him to panic more than he should.)

"Oh Zuko," she says, standing up and wrapping her arms around his neck. He grumbles, but his hands automatically fly to her waist, settling on her hips. "Are you _nervous?"_

He looks away. "No," he states, then looks back into her deep blue eyes, and relents. "Maybe," he confesses. "I just... You know that I've.. well, that I've-with Mai-"

Her eyes sparkle with amusement. "Yes Zuko," she says, lacing her fingers around his neck. "I know you've slept with Mai. It's not a secret."

His eyes bugle. "Wha-"

"Ty Lee told me after Mai dumped you," she explains, and Zuko's eyebrow twitches. "According to Mai, you're quite good at this. My standards are quite high."

He can _almost_ feel a headache coming along. It's not like he and Mai had a _bad_ breakup, per se. In fact, it was quite amenable. She left as she usually leaves, quietly, without a fuss, and Zuko keeps up communication with her, especially now that she's taken over her father's role of ambassador to Omashu. All in all, it was an easy break-up, and he figured the two of them would move on with no hitches. He just didn't expect her to go telling everyone how he was in bed. Or worse, tell _Ty Lee,_ and have Ty Lee go spreading it around. 

He forces a very awkward laugh from his lips. "I, um- thanks," He finally says. He runs his hand through his hair. "I just- I'm nervous about sleeping with _you_ ," he admits. "Not like, sleeping with people in general, but just-like, you."

She blinks a few times, clearly surprised. "Why would you be nervous about that?"

"What if you don't like it?" he blurts out, then immediately regrets it. What if he's bad? Oh spirits, what if she leaves him? Zuko groans inwardly, already berating himself for putting these thoughts inside his own head, and looks down at Katara, preparing himself for the onslaught of humiliation.

Katara blinks again. Then an amused smile touches her lips, and she leans up, pressing a soft kiss to his mouth that leaves him aching for more. When she pulls away, he instinctively follows, chasing after the delicious taste of her, and she laughs. "Zuko," she murmurs. "I love you, you do know that, right?"

"Of course," he murmurs. "I love you too."

Her eyes glint. "Good," she says. "Now you're going to go and get some of that tea for me, and we're going to sleep together tonight, and you're going to show me exactly what it is I've been missing out on."

He gulps. _Fuck, this girl is going to be the death of me._ "Okay," he squeaks, and she grins in satisfaction. "I'll see you...later then?"

She laughs. "You're so cute. See you later, Zuko," she says. She pecks him once, twice, then turns, and runs back into the palace, leaving Zuko blinking in confusion in his mother's garden.

~0~

Zuko knocks on her door that night, a package of carefully wrapped jadepine tea in his hands. He waits a few moments, and then she opens the door, a scarlet robe wrapped loosely around her. Her hair frames her face in chocolate waves, and he inhales the fresh scent of eucalyptus soap on her skin. Fresh from the bath. 

(His weakness, as usual. Katara is his weakness in general, but well, he's got a thing for Katara with damp hair, tunic parted to show a tiny bit of glistening skin. He's got a problem, okay?)

She lets him in, closing the door behind her. Zuko forgets his nervousness for a brief moment and presses her into the door, running his nose along the soft skin of her neck and kissing her softly. She giggles against his mouth.

“Hey you,” she whispers, and he blinks. 

“Uh,” he begins, as eloquently as usual. “I brought your tea.”

She takes his proffered package, one eyebrow quirked in amusement. “Wow,” she says. “I didn’t think you’d get it so quickly.”

He shuffles his feet and she walks past, setting the tea on her nightstand. “A servant was going to the markets today, so I asked her to pick some up.” He doesn’t mention how the girl’s eyes had glittered with amusement, and how he’d stammered something about Agni knows _what_ , before storming off. He doesn’t need to share that with her. He’s had enough embarrassing moments today as it is.

She laughs. “Oh Zuko,” she says, walking back over to him and pulling him close. “You’re the best.”

He frowns. “Are you sure about this?” he asks. As much as he’d love to sleep with Katara, he wants to make sure that this is something she _wants_ and not something she thinks he needs. Because, Agni, he’d wait a lifetime- no, he’d go fucking _celibate_ if it meant he got to spend that lifetime with her.

She blinks. “Of course I’m sure,” she replies. “Come on, Zuko, you know me. Since when I have ever done anything that I didn’t want to do.”

He opens his mouth to retort, but stops when he can’t come up with a solid comeback. She’s right. Katara is the last person on this planet to do something against her will. 

(A slam against the wall. A whispered threat against his life. A press of her hands against his chest, keeping his heart going through sheer will and a waterfall of tears. Katara is a girl whose heart shines through her eyes, her will stronger than anyone else's. A girl who walks down her own path, and no one in the world could get in her way.)

"Are you worried about me?" She asks, eyes glinting. She sounds pleased about his obvious hesitation, and he pokes her in retaliation. "Sorry!” she laughs. “But it's cute. Come on Zuko, seriously. Why are you so nervous?"

"It's stupid," he replies, petulant. "Trust me, I _really_ want to sleep with you. Like, I one thousand percent want to sleep with you. No one else. You're the only one I want to-"

She kisses him, shutting him up mid-speech. "Okay then. Now that we’ve established that you’ve got nothing against sleeping with me, what exactly is making you so nervous?

“I just don’t want to mess up,” he blurts out. “What if it’s bad?”

She stares. “Well,” she begins slowly, as if she’s speaking to a child. “Considering the fact that I very much enjoy your presence and your kisses, I don’t think you’ll disappoint.” He splutters, face burning, but she ignores his inner turmoil. “But let’s say, by some miniscule chance, that it doesn’t go as planned. What exactly do you think will happen if it isn't great?"

"Shame," He replies immediately. “Dishonor. I’ll reinstate my banishment.” She laughs and nudges him, and he sobers. "I don't know,” he says truthfully. “I just want it to be good for you.”

Her eyes sparkle, and she leans in. “It will be,” she whispers, breathing him in. “Because it’s you, and you _never_ do half a job.”

He groans, but lets her pull him down. She bites his bottom lip, teasing away the sting with her tongue, and he shudders, pulling her close. The heat of her body is delicious against his, and he deepens the kiss, breathing her in until the only thing separating them is the thin barrier of their clothes.

She pulls away, gasping, but it’s only to drag him to the bed. He pushes her down slowly, crawling on top of her, and she smiles, reaching for the sash that holds his tunic together. He shoves the shirt off as soon as the knot is loose, and she murmurs, hands running up his torso reverently. He smiles, bending down, kissing her softly, before reaching for the ties that hold her robe together. She grumbles, sitting up slightly to shove it off her shoulders, leaving her in her white wraps that leave _little_ to the imagination.

“Fuck,” he grumbles. She smiles up at him, and reaches for the tie on her upper wraps. He watches, slack jawed, as she unwinds the cloth from her body, and then she’s bare, the wraps lying in a puddle next to her, forgotten. He’s been dreaming about her breasts for years and immediately gets to work. He’s got her moaning within heartbeats, and it’s not long before he’s reaching for her lower wraps.

He hesitates before he’s done untying them. Meeting her gaze, he presses a kiss to the flange of her hip bone, making her suck in a breath. “Are you sure?” he breathes, and she rolls her eyes. 

“For the love of spirits,” she mutters, and then in one smooth movement, she flips them over. He groans as she settles above him, and she smiles, pressing her hands down on his chest. “I love you, Zuko,” she whispers, and grinds down on him. He groans, hands flying to her hips, and helps her rock against him. She feels wonderful against him, and he presses a hand to her core, feeling her wrapping get damp as she presses down.

“I just wanted to make sure,” he gasps, and she leans down, kissing him hard.

“I am sure,” she says. “Now come on, Zuko.”

“Fuck,” he relents. She’s won, it’s as simple as that. “Do you want to be on top?”

"Sure," she says. They make quick work of the rest of their clothes, and Katara naked is like finding the treasure at the Sun Temple all over again. He sits up, one hand on the small of her back to keep her steady, and runs his fingers through her folds, grinding his palm against her clit.

She mewls, and he grins into the column of her throat, biting down gently on her throat. Her breath comes in quick, jagged pants, and she moans. He feels her tight around his fingers, hips rolling against the rhythm he sets. Katara is beautiful: her brown skin shimmering with a sheen of sweat that glimmers light starlight, blue eyes are dark as the night sky, heavy with passion. Her hair hangs around them like a thick curtain, and he winds his fingers through it down her back. She cries out, moaning and pleading, his name rolling off her lips as easy as the water she bends, and the sounds she’s making are going straight to his groin. He’s impossibly, impossibly hard, but his focus is on her. This is Katara’s first time, and he needs to make sure it is absolutely perfect. So he pushes down the wave of lust rising within him and focuses on Katara, thrusting his fingers deeper and faster, hitting a spot deep inside her that has her unraveling. 

Katara moans his name. “Zu-Zuko,” she whispers, pressing sloppy kisses down his jaw. “Please, I can’t- I want-” she breaks out in a long, staggered moan, his fingers reaching that spot that brings stars to her eyes.

She shoves him down. “I need more,” she breathes, and he lies back, eyes wide as she situates herself above him. He can't help feeling nervous still, but with the way she looks now, the anticipation is overtaking the anxiety, and all he wants is to see her unraveling with him inside her.

She bites her lip, and begins the slow, tortuous descent down. Zuko sucks in a breath at the sheer intensity of this moment, the tight, delicious heat of her, the way her breasts heave, how her eyes glaze as she takes him. She’s slow, taking all the time she needs to adjust, and Zuko forces himself to stay still. Katara feels so fucking good, but this is her first time, and she will determine how fast or how slow they go.

"Oh," she says, soft. He's all the way in, he gives her a moment to adjust. She hasn’t even moved yet and he already feels like he’s going to explode. She’s so tight and wet and soft, and so inexplicably Katara, and that’s all Zuko needs really. Just her.

There's a tortuous moment of stillness while Katara gets used to the feeling of him inside her, and then she starts riding him. She doesn’t set an even rhythm, she’s slow and then fast, rotating her hips and testing the feel of him, figuring out what she likes. Zuko helps her along, holding her hips and angling her down, occasionally thumbing at her nipples, until she finds the right pace, gasping his name. He slides his hand down to rub her clit, quick, efficient strokes that makes her speed up to match his pace. She curses, her face eyes scrunched closed in pleasure, and he thrusts his hips, experimentally at first, then harder as she moans encouragingly. They find an even rhythm: he thrusts up as she comes down, and her moans are like music to Zuko’s ears.

She comes first, back arching and head thrown back, chest trembling and mouth open in a soundless moan. It’s the hottest thing Zuko’s ever seen, and he takes this as a victory that he didn’t screw up her first time. It’s good that she came so quickly, because Zuko is close, and isn’t going to last much longer. He rolls them over while she’s still trembling from her orgasm. He kisses her, thrusting slowly at first to try and prolong this moment, but her whispered pleas have him yearning for more, and it doesn’t take long before he’s thrusting harder and faster. Katara arches against him, legs tense and mouth open, moaning in his ear. He groans, jerks against her once, twice, before he bites down on her shoulder, and comes.

They fall apart, the rumpled mattress catching their fall. Zuko cuddles into the delicious heat of her, and she mumbles, nuzzling her nose in the crook of his neck, and he presses a kiss to her sweaty forehead. They lay there in silence for a few minutes, until their breath returns and their hearts aren’t pounding in their chests. 

Katara rolls to face him, propping herself up on one elbow to peer down at him. He cards a hand through her hair, cupping her cheek, and she smiles, leaning in. 

"So, you're not nervous anymore, right?” she asks, eyes brimming with amusement. “Because that was great. You were amazing. My first time couldn’t have been more perfect."

"Good," he says. "I just wanted to be good for you.” 

She leans in, kissing him softly, and Zuko pulls her down. “I love you, Zuko,” she whispers against his lips. 

He grins. “I love you too.”

She lays back down, nuzzling into the crook of his shoulder, and he hums, running his fingers down the length of her arm. The night is quiet, soft, enveloping them in a sheen of silken starlight, and Zuko listens to the beating of his heart, stuttering along to the rhythm of Katara's love. 

"Say," he murmurs, turning to look down at Katara. She blinks up at him inquisitivly, and he presses a kiss to her temple. "You don't have to drink that jadepine tea after every time, right?"

She stiffens against him, and Zuko immediately prepares the apology on his lips, but her tense body begins to shake, and laughter falls from her lips in an easy playful manner.

(Fuck, did he screw up again? Is this another thing he's not supposed to do, supposed to ask? Where is that _fucking_ guidebook when you need it?)

Katara sits up, her breasts pressing deliciously against Zuko's as she leans against him. Her eyes are bright, excited, and filled with mirth. "Oh, Zuko," she murmurs, and her hand tickles it's way down his stomach, making his heart skip a beat. "The answer is a solid, definite, no." She leans in close. "As long as I drink it the morning after, it doesn't matter where and when I sleep with you." Her eyes twinkle, and her fingers grasp him fully, making him choke. "So," she continues. "Since you're so eager, shall we begin again?"

(Fuck the manual.)

He surges up, throwing away any hesitation that might remain, and pulls her into a hug, making her gasp. "Yes," he murmurs, and she sighs and presses against him. He kisses her, softly, then harder as she wraps her arms around him, and he grins against her mouth. 

"Hey," he murmurs. "I love you."

She smiles. "You better."

(Yes, fuck the manual indeed. He may have been hesitant when it came to Katara's first time, but he doesn't need a guidebook on how to love his girlfriend. Because she's Katara, and he's Zuko, and that's all he needs.)

  
  



End file.
